The WSOP coverage is far and away the most exciting, thrilling, and just fun poker coverage out there. Sure, High Stakes Poker & Poker After Dark are better coverage hand for hand for real poker players looking to learn and study and get serious, but just for the thrill there is nothing like the Main Event.With $8,944,310 in cold hard cash going to the winner and some 7319 entries at $10 000 a pop it is simply the biggest single prize in sport.It is disappointing that they have dropped the mixed game coverage and would love to see that back again, but I guess the event that what's being covered is the Main Event.Lon McEachern and Norman Chad do an excellent job - they both clearly love the game - and the more detailed coverage on ESPN3 with James Hartigan and Adam Schoenfeld is good for the poker aficionado, and, so I'm understand, the Latin channels is also good.Above all, though, this is not poker as hand for hand, it is the highlights, the bad beats, the blow-ups, the monster pots, and tilts, the knock-outs, the agony on the river. It's about the superstars of the game, and every year a new star is made - this is the one they all want to win, and that makes for very good viewing indeed. Even if poker isn't your thing, then this is like the playoffs and the final for the Superbowl - you don't need to be a die-hard football fan to enjoy that and it's the same here, this is just fantastic viewing and if you think cards might be boring then prepare to be very surprised.For this viewer it remains the biggest (and best) in poker broadcasting. And yes, anyone who plays poker, loves poker, appreciates poker as a game of skill with some horrible variance, just has to have the WSOP on their bucket list. One day I just want to be there and hear the words: Shuffle Up And Deal!
